William Penn Charter School, the nation’s oldest Quaker school, envisioned a transformative campus plan to unite its youngest learners under one roof. As the capstone project of a multi-phase campus transformation, The Richard A. Balderston OPC ’69 Lower School completes the vision of an academic village by integrating Pre-K through Grade 5 within a shared home that embodies the school’s values of community, stewardship, equality, and simplicity.

The two-story, 78,000-square-foot facility now anchors the southwest corner of the campus, a site that previously held parking, an aging field house, yard storage, and mechanical equipment. The project itself is the result of years of collaboration between EwingCole’s design team and administrators, educators, families, alumni, and community members. The design concept creates a protected enclave for the school’s youngest learners, inspired by nature while employing a contextual yet playful and modern architecture and interior design. The landscape and play areas are conceived as a place of exploration, intended to mature to a “learning forest” in the years to come.

Quaker principles guided every aspect of the design, from site placement and building height to materials and light. Keeping the building within two stories fosters connection between age groups and preserves the school’s sense of community. A linear, 250′ skylight, stretching nearly the entire length of the building, symbolizes the Quaker belief in inner light while infusing the interior with daylight that changes throughout the day.

Classrooms open directly to outdoor learning terraces and play areas, supporting a seamless relationship between indoor and outdoor environments. The flexible layouts empower teachers to adapt spaces for project-based learning, creativity, and discovery, while maintaining a consistent material and color palette that promotes calm and focus.

Design: EwingCole
Photography: Halkin|Mason Photography